2019 Conveners
4W: Women, Well-Being, Wisconsin and the World, located in the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology. The thirteen Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies programs and departments of the University of Wisconsin System brought together by the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium, administered by the UW-Madison Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.
2019 Summit Co-sponsors:
- UW System Administration Office of Academic Programs and Educational Innovation (APEI)
- Alverno College Women and Gender Studies
- Edgewood College Women and Gender Studies
- Madison College Gender and Women’s Studies
- St. Norbert College Women’s and Gender Studies
- Winona State University Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality
- University of Minnesota Duluth Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program
2019 Campus Co-Sponsors:
- See full list at Co-Sponsors
Fourth Annual
4W Summit on Women, Gender and Well-being
and
42nd Wisconsin Women and Gender Studies Conference
April 11-13, 2019
Pyle Center, Madison, WI
Transformative Education: Then. When? Now!
Concurrent Sessions
Friday, April 12, 2019 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 |
Saturday, April 13, 2019 Session 4 Session 5 Session 6 Session 7 |
Friday, April 12, 2019
Concurrent Session 1, 9:00-10:15
1A: Pyle 325 ~ The Psychology of Women’s Philanthropy: Fundamental Concepts to Move Society Forward
Women philanthropists have emerged as transformational leaders in communities and universities. Empowering women as philanthropists will help make social change to improve the quality of life for all. Understanding the psychology of women’s philanthropy is essential to secure their financial support for causes – both higher education and nonprofits. Fundamental concepts include what motivates women, engages them, and gives them satisfaction and joy around giving. The presenters are two pioneering leaders in advancing women and women philanthropists. This is their first joint presentation. Professor Janet Hyde and Martha A. Taylor have written the first and foremost books in their fields: Hyde wrote the first seminal book on the psychology of women; Taylor on women’s philanthropy. Both are members of the 4W Leadership Circle. This is the first of two sessions on women’s philanthropy. Attend one or both sessions.
- Janet Hyde, Professor of Psychology, UW-Madison and former chair of the Department of Psychology
- Martha Taylor, Director of Women’s Philanthropy Leadership, School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison
1B: Pyle 332 ~ Gendered Perspectives on Women’s Health
- Araceli Alonso, Co-Director, 4W-STREETS Project, UNESCO Chair on Gender, Wellbeing, and a Culture of Peace (Moderator)
Sterilization Access for Childfree Women
This presentation focuses on the lack of sterilization access for childfree women, primarily those under the age of 30. My work examines the different responses to sterilization requests women have based on gender and whether they have biological children. This focus balances pronatalism and paternalism as two competing factors contributing to lack of sterilization access for childfree women. This critical examination relies on feminist research methods to ensure a truthful and in-depth analysis of the issue. After describing my research methods, I will argue that both pronatalism and paternalism play significant roles in the responses to requested sterilizations from both the medical community, and society as a whole. I will close by highlighting additional areas of inquiry that should be explored surrounding sterilization access.
- Natalie Jipson, BA in Women and Gender Studies, UW-Milwaukee
Culturally Related Illnesses of Women In Yakutia
This session compares the illnesses that occur amongst local Sakha and Russian women. There is a proverb in the Sakha language that states, “Yakut do not eat grass.” This proverb explains that the Sakha only consume “valuable” foods like fatty meat and fish. Such a diet is necessary to sustain people in the conditions of the harsh Yakutian climate when the winter temperatures fall below 50 C. The downside of this diet is the high rate of illnesses such as gallstones, urolithiasis, arteriosclerosis of the carotid arteries and lower extremities, and arthroscopic of the knee, which predominantly effect Sakha women. Russian women maintain a more balanced diet with vegetables and fruits, which prevents them from being susceptible to the above-mentioned diseases, but they also consume alcohol at a much higher rate, which results in above average rates of cirrhosis of the liver and frostbite of the lower extremities. This presentation will address particular cases that have been dealt with by physicians in the capital Yakutsk, and their suggestions for changes in diet and lifestyle to ensure a better outcome of Yakutia’s women health.
- Yuri Kitov, Professor of Culturology, Moscow State Institute of Culture
- Svetlana Gertner, Professor of Culturology and Women’s and Gender Studies, Moscow State Institute of Culture
Behavioral and Social Risk Factors for Acquiring a Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Young Adult Women in the United States: A Mixed Research Synthesis
The opioid epidemic and rising rates of injection drug use are increasing the risk of hepatitis C (HCV) infections among young adult women. While injection drug use is the major risk factor for HCV, women and men face unique issues when it comes to drug use, and risk for acquiring HCV. Yet, current HCV risk-based screening recommendations do not consider gender-specific risk factors that put young adult women at risk for acquiring HCV. The purpose of this mixed research synthesis study is to integrate and synthesize peer-reviewed literature across disciplines, and draw together qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research to describe gender-specific behavioral and social risk factors that put young adult women at risk for HCV. Preliminary findings reveal that women who are at risk for HCV, also report violence, stigma, PTSD, depression, incarceration, and social isolation. By understanding gender-specific behavioral and social risk factors for acquiring a HCV infection among young adult women, programs and policy solutions aimed at prevention, screening, and improving access to curative antiviral treatment can be developed.
- Theresa Watts, PhD Candidate in the School of Nursing, UW-Madison
Policing Pregnant Bodies: Socioeconomic Impacts on Marginalized Populations
This paper will explore the way pregnant bodies are policed by state insurance and government institutions, specifically focusing on poor, marginalized bodies and pregnant bodies of color. Health care disparities based on race and class are especially pertinent in our country right now, and this paper will discuss how the use of Medicaid and state insurance perpetuate these inequities. Using a reproductive justice framework, I will also highlight the effects of forced sterilization on pregnant women’s health care, as well as a distrust of the medical system, as a way of explaining the difficulties of receiving quality maternal and prenatal health care. Incarcerated pregnant bodies are another population that struggle to receive equitable health care, and I will devote a portion of my discussion to the treatment of these bodies in the industrial prison complex. Overall, the paper will focus on the effects of treating the bodies, and identities tied to the bodies, of underprivileged pregnant women, and how these practices reinforce power structures in our society. I will also examine the institutionalized racism and attitudes towards people living in poverty that leads to this treatment of pregnant bodies.
- Julia Dziubinski, Undergraduate Student, UW-Madison
1C: Pyle 209 ~ Feminist Pedagogy: Past Present and Future
In this session, using Alverno College as an example, we will examine and reflect on the historical role of feminist pedagogy in higher education and the potential implications of feminist pedagogy for future practices. The ultimate goal of the session is to create a forum for participants to explore present and potential pedagogies that represent feminist principles and address today’s issues. By employing feminist principles, the session will include multiple forms of interaction and invite everyone to participate.
- Lindsey Harness, Ph.D. Communication, Alverno College
- Trish Lewis, Ph.D. Religious Studies, Alverno College
- Amy H. Shapiro,D. Director of Philosophy and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, Alverno
1D: Pyle 232 ~ Best Practices for Campus Clery Act Sexual Assault Emails
While all universities that receive federal funding must comply with the Clery Act to send Timely Warning Notices in the event of a campus sexual assault that poses a public safety risk, the Act gives schools substantial leeway in how institutions respond to requirements. In many cases, offices of public relations or police departments draft campus emails, without consultation with experts in preventing sexual assault. This can have unintended consequences, including victim-blaming, erasure of assaults that are not heteronormative, and racial profiling. We contacted a stratified random sample of universities and colleges from across the US, and solicited the Clery Act emails they send in the event of a campus sexual assault as a Timely Warning Notice. We then analyzed these emails for 1. LGBTQ visibility, 2. Racial/Ethnic bias, and 3. Victim blaming. We take lessons learned from these notices, and present best practices for campuses seeking to send effective communications to their campus communities.
- Sandra Sulzer, Professor of Kinesiology & Health Science, Utah State University
- Tia Smith, Professor of Mass Communication, Xavier University of Louisiana
- Hayley May Loos, Research Assistant, Utah State University
1E: Pyle 326 ~ Transforming the Classroom: Alternative Representations of Gender, Race, Queerness, and Nation-Building
By the Numbers: Women in Film and Television
This presentation is designed to offer media-related tips and resources for instructors whose teaching addresses gender and representations. I outline the major sites of data collection and the most recent quantitative and qualitative reports on the subject of women in the media. Reports typically fall into two categories: studies focused on how women are represented onscreen and studies of women’s participation behind the scenes. In the film industry, the contraction of independent film production has correlated with a decline in stories by and about women. In television, a rapid expansion of programming that has been termed “peak TV” has correlated with increased opportunities for women in all aspects of the medium. The presentation is geared toward helping instructors stay up to date with current trends and offering resources that would be useful in guiding student research projects. A complete resource list will be made available to attendees for use in classroom teaching.
- Caryn Murphy, Interim Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Oshkosh
The Monster, Lingerie Models and Unsuspicious, Beautiful Angels: Racialized Gender Orders, U.S. Border Security, and the Political Economy of Illicit Drug Trafficking in the Americas
What kind of political work is accomplished when news agencies circulate descriptions of drug “kingpins” in shootouts, drug barons called “The Monster,” lingerie models running drug gangs, and “unsuspicious, beautiful angels” couriering illicit drugs across the Atlantic? This paper examines political and media representations of international illicit drug traffickers in the Americas since September 11, 2001, focusing specifically on the gendered and racialized orders produced and the ways such representations inform and are enacted through U.S. anti-drug policies and practices at U.S. border sites. I argue that the gendered and racialized representations of “the drug trafficker” help legitimate a militarized U.S. illicit drug policy, particular anti-immigration practices, and U.S. state power while shaping inequalities vis-a-vis economic neoliberalism. Drawing specifically on the literature in feminist security studies, I pay attention to the intersections and productions of gender, race, class, sexuality and nation within the practices of U.S. illicit drug control policies along the U.S. southern border over the last 17 years.
- Ellie Schemenauer, Associate Professor and Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater and Co-Chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
I Love Exploring the Sea!: Re-examining the Ocean’s Role within Neoliberal Tourism Economies
In this paper, I explicitly concentrate on my encounters and interactions with tourism workers in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines, where I conducted ethnographic fieldwork within a transoceanic border/contact zone. Throughout my time in “the field,” I was keeping a record of how maritime workers in the tourism industry were navigating both the neoliberal marketplace and the Philippine state’s neocolonial policies in ways that they determined to be empowering. A central theme I found through participant observation, informal conversations, and formal interviews is that the ocean brings forth liberation and emancipation for Filipino/as who are using the watery space to form resistance, negotiation, and protest as they (re)connect with a force that has permeated their memories since childhood. By articulating these oppositional subjectivities both on the surface of the sea, as well as the submarine space below, my interlocutors affirm what the anthropologist Kale Fajardo has theorized as the crosscurrents. In this assertion, I argue for places saturated with water to be imagined as queer spaces in the sense that non-normative identity production comes into view. Amidst continued histories of white supremacist nation-building and racial conquest, the Philippines is often considered an emasculated and feminized society that is in need of rescue. However, consistent with the crosscurrents framework, I contend that if the ocean is positioned as the medium of description it then elucidates an alternative and queer understanding of Filipino/a maritime workers’ everyday life, thereby rendering a reclamation of stolen, appropriated, and exploited gender selfhoods viable and comprehensible.
- Zach Madison, Undergraduate Student, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, UW-Eau Claire
1F: Pyle 213 ~ Campus Feminist Praxis in the Era of Trump’s Toxic Politics
This roundtable examines the activism of WGSS minors from Winona State University and explores the critical scholarships they use to ground organizing responses to Trump era politics, and their impact upon Winona State University’s marginalized student body. These students will discuss multiple forms of community activism, including responses to the rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, US Foreign Policy and Palestinian human rights, advocating for Children of Color through translation work, and the education and awareness campaigns about hate speech following Trump’s election.
- Mary Jo Klinker, Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University (Moderator)
- Mack (Mackenzie) Carter, Undergraduate Student, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University
- Vanessa Thao, Undergraduate Student, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University
- Alexis Salem, Undergraduate Student, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University
- BriShaun Kearns, Undergraduate Student, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University
- Janelle DeRubeis, Undergraduate Student, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University
1G: Pyle 226 ~ Books and Movies: Change the Person; Change the World
We believe that film and books serve as a good catalyst to discuss difficult and divisive issues in our society today. As a part of popular culture, they provide an avenue for authentic conversations and self-reflection. The presenters are all members of a women’s community book club. As participants, we often seek books that reflect diversity, world and national issues, eliminate voice silencing, and end the dynamics of violence. This allows us to develop our individual voices and our collective voice to raise awareness and promote change. Some books we have read include: The Hate You Give (racism); Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (homophobia); and Born a Crime (international). In addition to books, we will discuss culturally relevant movies, particularly Black Panther, The Joy Luck Club, Crash, and a documentary on Nigeria. Films seem to resonate particularly well with middle school, high school and college-age students, and create a portal to view beliefs and attitudes without creating a hostile atmosphere that minimizes honest communication. After some discussion, participants will be asked to name their favorite culturally relevant books and movies and how they might be used to promote awareness and understanding. A list will be compiled and emailed to all participants.
- Julie Phillips, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, University of Dubuque
- Regina Pauly, Curriculum Librarian, UW-Platteville
- Josephine Gurira, Reference Librarian, UW-Platteville
- Rea Kirk, Professor, Education, UW-Platteville
1H: Pyle 121 ~ Latina Community Health Workers/Doulas are Raising their Voices: Listen (MOVED TO Saturday, 3:15pm 6G: Pyle 213)
1I: Pyle 112 ~ The Power of Design Thinking for Social Innovation
This presentation will provide the audience with an overview of the design thinking and design research methods as well as UW-Madison student success case stories. The value of the Design Thinking process is that it is intentionally interdisciplinary and acts as a connector between multiple fields, such as: Community and Nonprofit Leadership, Women and Gender Studies, Education, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, and more. The human-centered Design Thinking process supports the School of Human Ecology’s commitment to solving complex, “wicked” problems inherent to the human condition that cannot be solved using traditional research approaches. Design research looks at gaining insights to reveal new ways of framing opportunities and inspiring new ideas. It supports learning throughout the process to determine the why, what, and how of the product or service. The presentation will then take the audience through a series of student driven case studies from design thinking classes. The projects covered will range from water transportation vests for women in Kenya, to a LBGTQ + People video, to mental health awareness for faculty. Several of the projects have resulted in student grants, which is evidence that Design Thinking has the ability to support positive innovation and social change at all levels.
- Lesley Sager, Director of the Design Thinking Initiative at the School of Human Ecology and Professor of Design Studies, 4W Board Member, UW-Madison
1J: Pyle 313 ~ Intersectional Embodiments: Resisting Violence and Oppression
- Jessica Van Slooten, Associate Professor, English and Composition, and Co-Chair Women and Gender Studies, UW-Green Bay (Moderator)
The Trauma and Neglect of the Black Woman’s Body
This research paper will examine how white America has misused the black woman’s body to continue to uphold white privilege and its related power structure. Based upon a racial hierarchy that values whiteness, while disadvantaging many black women, neglect and trauma define the black woman’s identity and body. In order to understand how neglect and trauma uphold power and privilege, I will start with the history of sexual violence towards black women. I will reference authors, like Harriet Ann Jacobs, to detail relatable accounts of rape and violence against black women in her autobiography, Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl. I will continue to explain the action of neglect and trauma through an interrogation of stereotypes such as “mammy” and “jezebel” within media, law, and policies. Lastly, I will unpack the continuance of neglect and trauma through cultural appropriation facing black women. These examples will show how black women are constantly subjected to trauma, all to advance white privilege.
- Vontique Jackson, Undergraduate Student, Women and Gender Studies and President of the Black Student Union, UW-Platteville
The Well-being of Women Survivors: Japan’s Wartime Sexual Violence and Postwar Representations of Disability in Japan and China
In 2016, an exhibition called “The Roads that I Have Taken with My Husband: Living as the Wife of a Disabled Veteran” was held at Shōkei-kan, a Tokyo-based museum dedicated to disabled Japanese war veterans. The exhibition presented a story of disabled veterans regaining hope in life thanks to their supportive able-bodied wives – a prevalent narrative of war and disability in postwar Japan. Similarly, in China, the disabling effects of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45) are often embodied in disabled male veterans, thus erasing disabled women from both wartime and postwar discussions of war and disability. Arguing against a prevalent narrative that establishes women as able-bodied caregivers of disabled veterans, I emphasize the experiences of women who became disabled themselves during the war. Using historical materials and literature concerning Japanese sexual violence against women, interviews and documentaries of survivors of Japanese wartime sexual violence, and sources from war and peace museums, my presentation reveals the traumatic and everlasting impacts wartime sexual violence have on victims’ mental and physical well-being. Using a feminist disability studies approach, I examine the mechanisms leading to the dual invisibility of disabled women and disabilities resulting from sexual violence within discussions of war and disability both in Japan and China. In doing so, I hope to unveil the fundamentally ableist and sexist logic underlying both countries’ commemoration of the war, and the long-term impacts wartime sexual violence has on women survivors’ well-being.
- Lin Li, Graduate Student, Department of History, UW-Madison
Violence Against Native Women: The Department of Justice and the “Oliphant Fix”
Violence Against Native American Women: The Department of Justice and the “Oliphant Fix” explores the pervasive violence experienced by Native American women from a feminist perspective. To do so, I begin by providing a statistical analysis of the violence against Native women and sexual assault. Following this, I demonstrate the ways that U.S. legislation, governmental policies, and laws perpetuate violence against Native women and the erosion of tribal sovereignty. Within this analysis, I focus specifically on The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, including the “Oliphant Fix” (Oliphant vs Suquamish Supreme Court Case) and the federal government’s failure to fully protect Native women from non-Native predators and to restore tribal sovereignty. Building upon this, I will examine 2017 Native testimonies from a significant primary source titled, “The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women: 2017 Tribal Consultation Report,” that bears witness to the need to enhance safety for Native women and strengthen federal responses to such crimes.
- Genevieve Le May, PhD Candidate, American Indian Studies, Arizona State University
1K: Pyle 225 ~ Planetary Pioneers: Women Blazing Trails for the Environment & Education
Women and girls often bear the brunt of environmental change, notably they experience a disparate burden on their health, wellness, economic circumstances, and ability to nurture their families in both developed and developing contexts. Extreme weather events threaten waterways, stress agriculture, promote erosion, and increase the spread of infectious disease. As climate change impacts worsen, risks to human health and wellbeing are particularly evident in developing contexts. Tasks and responsibilities that typically fall on women such as food production, fuel collection, and water procurement will become more difficult and time consuming. A changing climate also threatens women’s mobility, food security, and economic stability, further stripping women of essential capital. However, women are also at the forefront of the solutions, particularly as early adopters of climate friendly agriculture and clean energy. Women can play a critical role in climate-related planning, policy-making, education, and the implementation of mitigation strategies. In this panel session, we will discuss the burdens on and opportunities for women in context of: environmentally-driven renewable energy business; climate smart agriculture; shifts in urbanization and transportation; as well as the role of women on the international stage, with a recap of the Conference of the Parties 24 meeting in Poland, 2018. Women are leaders and change makers, and this experienced panel of experts will bring to light a new wave of thought regarding women, gender, and environmental change.
- Valerie Stull, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Global Health Institute, UW-Madison
- Maggie Grabow, Primary Care Research Fellow, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW-Madison
- Aleia McCord, Associate Director, African Studies Program, UW-Madison
- Karen Kendrick-Hands, Interim Director of Communications, Immediate Past Chair, Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group [ESRAG]
Friday, April 12, 2019
Concurrent Session 2, 1:30-2:30
2A: Pyle 325 ~ Women’s Philanthropy: Taking Fundamental Concepts to Action for Societal Change
Women philanthropists have emerged as transformational leaders in communities and universities. Empowering women as philanthropists will help make social change to improve the quality of life for all. Applying fundamental concepts of women’s psychology to actionable steps will help secure financial support from women for non-profits and higher education. Actionable steps will include specific strategies for engaging women, using “netweaving,” making the case for support, and asking for gifts. A discussion about personal effective giving strategies will give insights into women’s giving priorities. This is the second of two sessions on women’s philanthropy. Attend one or both sessions.
- Martha Taylor, Director of Women’s Philanthropy Leadership, School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison
2B: Pyle 226 ~ Sustaining Undergraduate Degree Programs in Gender and Women’s Studies
Maintaining student enrollment and declaration numbers are key metrics that carry increasing weight in Wisconsin’s higher education administration landscape. The numbers of students we teach in our courses and declare in our degree programs matters more than ever. What does the field of gender and women’s studies offer undergraduate students? How can we leverage the advantages of an interdisciplinary field grounded in relevant social justice topics to maintain and increase our student numbers? What curricular and advising tools are effective in support of our students’ professional development during college? The presenters will share the strategies they have used at their home institutions, UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison, as they relate to attracting and retaining undergraduate students in the field of gender and women’s studies.
- Susan Nelson, PhD, Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Gender & Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Nina Valeo Cooke, MSW, Director of Undergraduate & Curricular Services, Gender & Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Jodi Vandenberg-Daves, Professor and Chair, Gender and Sexuality Studies, UW-La Crosse
2C: Pyle 332 ~ Learning from the Body: Feminist Practices of Self-education in the 1970s
In the 1970s various countercultural feminist movements across the world employed new strategies for educating women—themselves and each other—about their bodies, gender, and sexuality. Comparing cases from the US and Denmark, these three papers will discuss the possibilities and obstacles of varying feminist self-education practices. In “Learning from the Body: The Feminist Self-Help Movement in the 1970s US,” Judith Houck looks at the educational goals of the feminist self-help movement in the US. In “Birthing Paradox: Race, Colonization, and Radicalism in US Midwifery,” Annie Menzel seeks to understand the historical roots of the largely white US midwifery movement to reclaim birth from male physicians and connect this history to contemporary midwifery’s implication in racism and settler colonialism. Finally, in “Living Theory: Feminist Efforts to Subvert Patriarchy in Copenhagen, 1971-1976,” Pernille Ipsen will show how a group of feminists in Copenhagen in 1971 lived feminist theory about patriarchy, heteronormativity, and oppression of women in practice and sought to use their lives to subvert patriarchy by creating a radical women-only—later lesbian—commune.
- Annie Menzel, Assistant Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Judith Houck, Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Pernille Ipsen, Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
2D: Pyle 232 ~ Building a Consent Culture: Strategies for Combating Sexual Violence
Talking about Rape Myths and Rape Culture with Students
Female students of a private university were interviewed by other students to learn about their views surrounding rape myths and rape culture. Interviewees discussed various topics including definitions of sexual assault, conceptualizations of sex, rape, and consent, and the contributing causes of sexual assaults. Students were unknowledgeable about sexual assault and rape distinctions and unable to define rape myths but did informally provide lots of information about rape myths and the stereotypical causes of rapes such as victim blaming and the blitz rape scenario. Ramifications for what this means for rape myths and rape culture will be discussed as well as ways to alter the university culture.
- Jennifer Huck, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice, Carroll University
Transformative Conversation on Sexual Harassment
This paper is an exploratory study of the knowledge, awareness, and perceptions of sexual harassment among new and seasoned employees in a wide range of industries. The authors used a Qualtrics survey to collect data on the mindset of participants regarding workplace sexual harassment. Survey items addressed issues including the following: Do seasoned employees define sexual harassment differently than new employees? Do employees’ perceptions of sexual harassment change the longer they remain in the workforce? Is the tendency to be a harasser latent? If so, does seeing that incidents of workplace sexual harassment have no consequence reinforce this tendency? The authors hope to obtain a true picture of employees’ views of sexual harassment based on data collected and use this information to discuss how corporations could transform their educational programs on sexual harassment, enforce a stricter code of conduct with defined consequences, and change the mindset of employees on this important issue.
- Mary Bartling, Assistant Professor, School of Business, UW-Platteville
- Margaret F. Karsten, Professor, School of Business, UW-Platteville
2E: Pyle 112 ~ Teaching to Reach Students: Feminist Pedagogy in Learning and Professional Development
An increasing emphasis on high impact practices (HIPs) and scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in teaching-intensive institutions has motivated faculty to explore varying effective pedagogies and engage in pertinent activities to enhance students’ learning experience. Instructional activities, assessment of student learning, and instructors’ professional development have been aligned with this emphasis on different campuses. In this session, three panelists will collectively discuss ways in which feminist pedagogy can facilitate HIPs in humanities and interdisciplinary programs. Arguing students would be better equipped by understanding how feminist philosophy and ethics work hand in hand in application to students’ future professions, the first panelist will discuss syllabus design, questions, and assignments that match field-specific concerns and challenges of students in philosophy courses. The second panelist will illustrate the need for more feminist pedagogy in environmental and sustainability studies and will make some recommendations for faculty professional development to improve instructor competencies and student learning outcomes. The last panelist will use collaborative assignments and projects in women’s and gender studies core courses to discuss measurable factors to assess high impact practices in interdisciplinary and general education courses.
- Christina Holmes, Associate Professor, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, DePauw University
- Mary Lenzi, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Department of Humanities, UW-Platteville
- Dong Isbister, Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Platteville and Co-Chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
2F: Pyle 209 ~ Racialized Reproductive Politics to Heteronormative Socialization in Children: UW-Whitewater Undergraduate Capstone Research
For this panel, five students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will present their undergraduate capstone research projects. These projects will range from a focused analysis of pre and postpartum healthcare for women of color in Milwaukee to broader conversations about heteronormativity and childrearing to media representation of female scientists. Each project will have a specific focus reflecting the background, major, and interests of Women’s and Gender Studies major and minors. Key themes will include intersectionality, institutional oppression, gender mis-representation, heteronormativity, and discursive constructions. All chosen projects will reflect the capstone experiences of advanced students at UW-Whitewater, demonstrating the culmination of an undergraduate education in Women’s and Gender Studies. Ultimately, the goal of this panel will be to not only showcase undergraduate research projects but also demonstrate how UW-Whitewater students seek to use their WGS education within and beyond the classroom.
- Ashley Barnes-Gilbert, Lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater (Moderator)
- Libby Huggett, Social Work Major, Women’s and Gender Studies Minor, Diversity Leadership Certificate
- Ash Anderson, Double Major in Women’s and Gender Studies and Social Work
- Karinthia Treu, Double Major in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies
- Kat Schulte, Psychology Major, Double Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies and Race and Ethnic Studies
- Laura Kuck, Women’s and Gender Studies Major, Criminology Minor, Diversity Leadership Certificate
- Samual Gauthier, Double Major in History and Women’s and Gender Studies, Minor in Athletic Coaching Education
- Sam Azzaro, Art Major with a Fine Art Emphasis, Diversity Leadership Certificate
2G: Pyle 213 ~ Politics Inside and Outside of the Classroom
CANCELLED – Facilitating Difficult Conversations: Politics and Free Speech in the Classroom
Youth Development in Political Engagement by Centering Mobilization and Organization for Reproductive, Racial, and Social Justice
This workshop provides an introduction to political engagement for young people with steps for how to get involved first-hand, and why it’s important for youth to mobilize and organize in today’s political climate. This workshop will center on advocacy regarding critical issues, such as reproductive justice, social justice, and racial equity. We will begin with a comprehensive summary of the importance of these key issues and the ways they have been threatened over time, specifically during the Trump presidency and Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, and lead into ways to mobilize and organize in our communities to take action against these injustices. The workshop will conclude with a group activity in which groups will be assigned specific issues regarding reproductive, social, and/or racial justice and must work together to create a plan to mobilize and organize in their communities to take action and make a change. While there has been an increase in youth political engagement in many communities, it is still evidently difficult for marginalized youth to get involved and be aware of the steps they need to initiate change. This workshop aims not only to educate the general population of young people in becoming politically engaged, but also to center marginalized youth who continue to be at a disadvantage in many aspects in society to make their voices heard. By further educating young people, particularly marginalized youth, they can learn how to create plans to push for comprehensive sex education, increased resources and assistance for racial minorities and immigrants, and advocate for themselves regarding reproductive rights.
- Gabrielle Aranda-Pino, Undergraduate Student, Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Samantha Crowley, Undergraduate Student, UW-Madison
2H: Pyle 225 ~ Centering the Voices and Values of Women Affected by Opioid and Other Drug Use Disorders in Program Development, Implementation and Quality Improvement Efforts in Wisconsin
Since 2009, Wisconsin has detected a significant increase in maternal opioid use, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and other adverse birth outcomes linked to opioid exposed pregnancies. At the same time, more and more children in Wisconsin are being removed from homes due to substance abuse. Importantly, women dependent on opioids often have comorbid mental health disorders and histories of trauma and violence, adding layers of vulnerability to their lives. Access to quality services to address the multiple needs and roles of women is critical in optimizing health outcomes. We will discuss an intentional approach to engage the voices of pregnant and postpartum women across the state, and African American women in Dane County, in order to understand what matters most to them. We will describe both process and findings from two related participatory and empowerment-based studies that helped identify deeper-rooted issues associated with drug harm on women, including stigma, misogyny, racism and oppression. At the same time, women expressed and embodied resilience and other assets that can add value to programs and services. We will conclude by describing how this data led to improvements in resources, models of care, and quality improvement systems by centering the values of women.
- Kerry Zaleski, Evaluation Consultant, Population Health Institute, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW-Madison
- Marian Slaughter, Researcher, Sustaining Natural Circles, LLC.
- Linda Vakunta, Researcher, Sustaining Natural Circles, LLC.
2I: Pyle 121 ~ Threshold Concepts in WGS: Pedagogy and Program Development
Faculty from the former University of Wisconsin Colleges benefitted greatly from discussions and curricular workshops pertaining to the threshold concept approach to feminism and gender studies. A threshold concept approach introduces novice students to transformative disciplinary concepts that form the interpretive lens used by feminist scholars; students learn the conceptual basis for analyzing texts and phenomena. Over the course of the last decade, the GSW program at the former UW Colleges used the framework of threshold concepts, as articulated by Ray Meyer and Jan Land, to guide program learning assessment projects that resulted in program-wide learning outcomes. Additionally, several of us used the threshold concepts framework to design our classes, in some cases integrating Threshold Concepts in Women’s and Gender Studies, a textbook written by our former UW System colleagues Holly Hassel and Christie Launius in diverse courses. This textbook explains (and articulates through clear examples) major concepts in feminist studies that are necessary for introductory-level courses. These concepts included “the social construction of gender,” “intersectionality,” “systems of privilege/oppression,” and “praxis.” We propose a roundtable of teacher scholars to discuss how the threshold concept model can shape both individual pedagogy and program development, especially in the context of restructuring.
- Jessica Van Slooten, Associate Professor, English and Composition, and Co-Chair Women and Gender Studies, UW-Green Bay
- Alison Staudinger, Associate Professor and Co-Chair, Women and Gender Studies, Democracy and Justice Studies, UW-Green Bay
- Valerie Murrenus-Pilmaier, Associate Professor English, Composition, and Women and Gender Studies, UW-Green Bay
- Ann Mattis, Associate Professor English, Composition, and Women and Gender Studies, UW-Green Bay
2J: Pyle 313 ~ Mindful Leadership: Create or Enhance Your Approach
What is your leadership philosophy? How do you guide others? Does your leadership make a difference? Join us to explore your capacity for thriving in leadership. Together we will gain insights on a mindful leadership style and learn to embody the wisdom we need to lead authentically through the power of reflection and practice. You will leave with ideas to create or enhance your own approach to leading mindfully.
- Patti Coan is a learning innovator, strategist and performance coach who supports performance improvement with individuals, leaders and teams. Patti is an Organizational Developer, Mindfulness Leader and Culture Connector at Humana, Inc. She is also the owner of Samapatti Yoga, offering yoga classes, workshops and retreats near and far.
- Betsy Delzer has taught yoga to educators since 2012 and founded a wellness movement in education, bringing mindful practices to schools around the country. She works in Middleton Cross Plains Area Schools as the Coordinator of Mindful Education and Leadership Development. Betsy offers staff and leaders support in the area of emotional intelligence, resilience, self-care, and mindset training.
2K: Pyle 326 ~ The Power of Dialogue to Transform Higher Education
This presentation will consist of facilitating a dialogue focused on women, gender, and equity utilizing the reflection structured dialogue approach developed by Public Conversations Project / Essential Partners. I am currently doing research with Essential Partners on dialogue in the classroom as a means for creating a more equitable space to build social cohesion between groups. The reflective structured dialogue approach is universal in the sense that it can be used for any topic, as long as the parties want to come together to talk. I will give a short presentation on this approach and how it addresses power imbalances and inequity through thoughtful reflection, power sharing, and curious questions. Then, I will demonstrate how this approach works in a shortened version of a dialogue.
- Shelby Schuppe, Graduate Student, Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and The Heller School for Social Policy and Management / Essential Partners, Brandeis University
Friday, April 12, 2019
Session 3, 2:45-3:45
Pyle Center’s Lee Lounge
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Concurrent Session 4, 10:30-11:30
4A: Pyle 309 ~ Writing as a Curandera: Letting Go of the Critical Editor
Writing as a curandera is an active workshop to let go of the critical editor. We open with a grounding meditation, and we talk about Co-mothering (the witnessing of a new idea as it comes to birth), and what it means to rewrite or revise your life story. During this process, we also go through writing prompts and make a new commitment to the work that you want to do. We will uncover all that writing reveals about our inner selves. Additionally, we will share how we have used this exercise as a way to recommit to anti-racist actions. This is a great workshop for understanding how to be an ally, and how to stand in a co-mothering space. Your instructor comes with six years of facilitating experience through the annual YWCA Racial Justice conference in Madison, WI. She is a registered yoga teacher, mindfulness practitioner, and fierce curandera (healer).
- Araceli Esparza, Wisconsin Mujer
4C: Pyle 209 ~ The Impact of Women’s and Gender Studies: Undergraduate Perspectives on Feminist Classrooms, Pedagogies, and Activism
In this roundtable discussion, I will lead a group of students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in a discussion about what Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) has done for them. Our students come to WGS for a variety of reasons: seeking a safe space, healing from trauma, an inclusive classroom experience, primers for social justice activism, and/or academic conversations that reflect their experiences and the world they see around them. In this roundtable, our students will discuss what WGS has done for them as students, community members, activists, and researchers. Specifically, this roundtable will be organized around the following questions: What drew you to WGS? How is the WGS classroom different than your other classrooms? What knowledge do you most value as a result of WGS? How has the field changed the way you research topics, your interpersonal relationships, or influenced your commitment to social justice? Finally, as an advanced undergraduate in this field, what would you tell potential students considering a major or minor in WGS about your experience? Ultimately, the goal of this roundtable will be to see what our undergraduates value about the field and provide insight on the specific impact of WGS on our students.
- Ashley Barnes-Gilbert, Lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater (Moderator)
- Kaya Saia, Double Major in Women’s and Gender Studies and Social Work
- Rhiannon Gregoire, Biology Major, Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies
- Kira Elmer, Communication Major, Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies
- Kayla Zilisch, Double Major in Women’s and Gender Studies and Communication
- Madisen Polk, Major Human Resources Management, Diversity Leadership Certificate
4D: Pyle 232 ~ The Politics of Sexual Violence: Lessons Learned from a Research Practicum in Sociology of Gender
Changes in the governance of sexual violence in higher education have inspired myriad prevention efforts and new sociological research. Universities now require that students, faculty, and staff learn about their schools’ systems to address sexual violence. However, the current systems are relatively new, continue to change, and vary widely between institutions. Our team of undergraduate research assistants and a Sociology dissertator will present on the history of the politics of sexual violence at “State University,” a large public university. We ask how has the governance of sexual violence at State University changed overtime? To answer this question, we code articles related to sexual assault from the two campus newspapers from 1972 through 2017. We will be discussing our coding process, our findings, and the importance of doing this research for our education. Our research speaks to the relationship between student safety and education. Our historical analysis may inspire and guide future actions to eliminate the burden of sexual violence on college campuses.
- Nona Maria Gronert, Dissertator, Sociology, UW–Madison
- Mahima Bhattar, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Sociology and Economics, UW-Madison
- Olivia Anderson, Undergraduate, Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
- Megan Bjorgo, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Sociology, UW-Madison
- Karl Vachuska, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Sociology, UW-Madison
- Rachel Litchman, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Sociology, UW-Madison
4E: Pyle 112 ~ Media Representation of Women’s Lives: Challenging Gender Inequality and Violence Against Women
Our panel examines the role of prevalent discourse and messages in different forms of media that reinforce gender inequality instead of emancipation. Our presentation takes a critical stance to discuss and challenge the biases existing in these discourses, which result in strengthening the hegemonic structures that maintain a control over women’s bodies and minds. The presentations in this panel contextualize these conversations in India and Pakistan. Pallavi Chhabra and Sidra Rind are doctoral students at UW-Madison and Dr. Kusum Knapczyk is a Hindi language instructor at Duke University.
- Pallavi Chhabra, Doctoral Candidate, Curriculum and Instruction, UW-Madison
- Sidra Rind, Doctoral Candidate, Curriculum and Instruction, UW-Madison
- Kusum Knapczyk, Lecturer, Hindi Language of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University
4F: Pyle 226 ~ A Mentorship Intervention with Native American Youth: An Educational Experience for Undergraduate Students
Three undergraduate college students will express their experiences of participating in an undergraduate research study. These college students will discuss the literature of undergraduate research, share their particular research study, apply a theoretical framework called the strengths perspective, and describe how their contribution has impacted their education. The research study is based on a nontraditional-style mentorship invention with at-risk Native American youth, called the Today & Beyond Program. This intervention is implemented via a service-learning course, college students are the mentors and the youth are the mentees. The college student researchers assess the mixed methods data to find the results of the intervention program both from a scholarly research emphasis as well as a program evaluation perspective. The college students identify as women, with minority races, and are in a social work program. The college students each define their perspective with participating in this particular research study. They will share their understanding of social justice and how it looks for this specific at-risk youth group. They will also describe how they can transfer such gained knowledge, skills, and values to other underrepresented minority groups in their professional careers.
- Crystal Aschenbrener DSW, MSW, APSW, Department Chair of Social Work, Alverno College
- Joicenina Carvalho, Undergraduate Student, Social Work, Alverno College
- Jordyn Gonzalez, Undergraduate Student, Social Work, Alverno College
- Bradi Woulf, Undergraduate Student, Social Work, Alverno College
4G: Pyle 313 ~ Building Networks for Change Led by Affected Individuals: The FREE Campaign and Women’s Incarceration
The FREE Campaign is focused on the unique issues of women who have experienced incarceration. FREE is a project of EXPO (Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing) and WISDOM, a statewide multi-faith grassroots organization, working to have a common voice on issues of social justice. We are developing feminist, trauma-informed approaches to organize and empower women who have been affected by incarceration to lead decarceration efforts. We use a public health lens to push for policy and systems change related to the gender-specific impacts on social determinants of health. In this panel, leaders of the campaign (women directly affected by incarceration and their allies) will discuss the importance (and challenges) of building networks and movements, including institutions of higher education, led by affected individuals. Audience members will be invited to consider the relevance of this for their communities and their work.
- Molly Clark-Barol, Graduate Student, School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison (Moderator)
- Ouida Jackson,
- Sarah Ferber, Associate State Director of EXPO
- Melissa Ludin, Fox Cities Organizer for EXPO
4H: Pyle 213 ~ Critical PERSPECTIVE of a Family Life Course Approach as a Template for Creating an Emancipatory Intervention for Maternal and Child Health for and by Women of Color in Dane County, WI
The health and wellbeing of mother/child dyad for Latina immigrants and African American women in Dane County cannot be explained as a random event, but rather, it is influenced by their past, enacted at the present moment, and reproduced in the future. Based on this continuum, it is necessary to state that current health inequalities are driven by racism and discriminatory practices, and are killing mothers and babies today. This presentation intends to provide a critical conceptual model that brings to the forefront the preponderance of doulas and community health workers in the re-shaping of health education, empowerment approaches, and health outcomes. This concept map has been consciously developed by and for women of color, without translation or tailoring. The model understands the vital relationship between the dyad and its environment, as well as the role of embracing one’s culture and traditions during one of the most vulnerable and powerful moments in a women’s life: transition to motherhood.
- Mariela Quesada, PhD Candidate, Human Development and Family Studies at the School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison
- Tia Murray, MS/PhD Candidate, Human Development and Family Studies at the School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison
CANCELLED – 4I: Pyle 225 ~ From Classroom to Campus: Remembering our Strengths
CANCELLED – 4J: Pyle 326 ~ Encouraging Relational Development: The Use of Relational-Cultural Theory in Andragogy
4K: Pyle 325~ Beyond the Binary Bubble: Alternative Narratives of Trans and Gender Non-Binary Experiences
- Rickie Ann Legleitner, Professor of English, Philosophy, and Gender and Women’s Studies, UW-Stout (Moderator)
Asexuality and Dating
My goal is to educate others on what asexuality is, discuss psychological research around asexuality, but also provide insight into what dating as an asexual (or dating an asexual) is like. Asexuality is considered an “invisible sexuality,” meaning it is not often talked about. Many people do not even know what asexuality is and some people who do know what asexuality is, may not realize asexuality is also an umbrella term for a whole spectrum of sexualities. It can make dating difficult for those who identify as asexual due to misunderstanding of what asexuality is. It can sometimes lead to dangerous situations and toxic relationships. As an asexual (who is currently in a relationship), I hope to open up a discussion about types of attraction, attitudes towards sex, labels, and open communication in relationships.
- A.J. Ja Doul, Psychology Major, Cognitive Neuroscience Minor, Women and Gender Studies Minor, UW-Stout
Conversion Therapy: It Is Still Happening, Here and Now
Conversion Therapy is the practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation using psychological or spiritual interventions that are described as unethical, harmful and unscientific by the American Psychiatric Association. The presenter will share comprehensive information on conversion therapy, describing what it is, and where and how it is happening today (including on the UW-Stout campus in the fall of 2017). Resources will be shared on how individuals can contribute to ending conversion therapy through legislative and representative outreach.
- Madison Gordon, Undergraduate Student, Graphic Design, UW-Stout
Transforming Gender
In women and gender studies, we often talk about total gender equality and what that means for men and women. I hope to shed light on what that means for everyone else on the gender spectrum through accounts of my own life experiences as a non-binary person who has been out for eight years. Gender norms affect everyone in society and as feminists we fight against gender normative stereotypes and expectations. Through listening to the voice of non-binary feminists allies can better support the goal of total equality between all genders. Many people lack proper education on the gender spectrum as it is hardly ever taught, and misconceptions run rampant in the media; accordingly, giving platforms for people on the spectrum to share their experiences is incredibly important. Fiction and media are a great way to give such widespread education, as well as allowing minorities to see themselves represented. By writing a semi-fictional account, what happens next, of my own experiences and others in my community, my narrative serves as a learning tool for people who are unfamiliar with the community.
- Rose Barker, Undergraduate Student, UW-Stout
Inclusive Excellence Initiatives: How to Advocate for LGBTQ+ Students, Faculty, and Staff within a Complicated Campus Structure
In this talk D.A Dirks describes the work they’ve undertaken throughout their career to advocate for more inclusive institutional frameworks and programs for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff. As a senior academic planner for UW System and a member of the board of the Consortium of Higher Education LGBTQ Resource Professionals, Dirks has worked to implement advocacy networks across complex campus structures that focus on inclusion around sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Dirks will offer practical advice on how to teach about diverse SOGI in the classroom, and how to make university initiatives centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion actually make a difference in the lives of students.
- D.A. Dirks, Contract faculty, General Education and Humanities, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Concurrent Session 5: 11:45-12:30
5A: Pyle 309 ~ Transformative Feminist Strategies in Arts and Crafts Activism
Two experienced artist/educator/activists share the strategies they have found to be the most effective for advancing transformative feminist activist projects utilizing visual arts and/or craft activism. The presenters are the founders of the collaborative Exquisite Uterus Project: The Art of Resistance Project (initiated 2012), a fiber arts project that offered over 200 feminist artists the opportunity to speak for themselves through their art about the over-politicized healthcare environment and its limitations of our available healthcare choices. Sharing the approaches that are present in the most effective arts actions that call for us to understand that issues of gender, race and sexuality require urgent attention, and by example, demonstrating how and why they work. Looking at projects from the PussyHat Project to the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, and from street performance to bill boards, the presenters intend for audience members to leave with strategies that can help them design their own politically transformative art actions and craft activist projects addressing a broad range of social justice issues.
- Helen Klebesadel, Artist
- Alison Gates, Professor, Art and Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Green Bay
5B: Pyle 332 ~ Peace Pedagogy in Action! Imagining and Performing Nonviolence
This workshop will explore pedagogy grounded in peace education through curriculum that was used in a course I taught at Portland State University called ‘Superhero Justice: Comic Books and Conflict Resolution.’ Using mixed media art and activities modeled after theatre of the oppressed, participants were able to reimagine violent narratives in the superhero genre as nonviolent. Through their art and storytelling, the fifteen enrolled students created a powerful alternative narrative that was used to reconstruct social norms surrounding violence, justice, and heroism in our society. The first part of the workshop will give background on the course and some literature review from my thesis on peace education. Next, I will guide participants through the curriculum and engage them in a sampling of activities they can adapt in their own courses. This workshop explores using our bodies and/or creative imaginings to reconstruct violent narratives in our society as nonviolent, while providing background knowledge and some literature review of peace education.
- Ashley Schmuecker, Violence Prevention Specialist, Violence Prevention and Survivor Services, University Health Services at UW-Madison
5C: Pyle 325 ~ Class, Privilege, and Worth: Breaking Down the Barriers Created by Higher Education
We think of higher education as a liberating place, a place where the exchange of ideas creates deeper understanding of people and society. However, the hierarchy of higher education says a lot about worth and privilege. In this workshop, we will examine the history, the inequity, and the message of hierarchy. We will then look at various strategies and develop a plan to take back to your campus to break down these barriers created by hierarchy in both the classroom and workforce.
- Dace A. Zeps, Administrator, Center for Research on Gender and Women, UW-Madison
5D: Pyle 209 ~ PACT: Prevent. Act. Challenge. Teach.
The RE (Recognizing Equality) Initiative at Winona State University is a team of undergraduate students that are committed to responding appropriately to gender-based violence; re-imagining and implementing effective prevention strategies; and redefining campus culture. Education is the cornerstone of the RE Initiative, and the most effective educators are one’s fellow students. The RE Initiative peer educators lead educational sessions about gender-based violence, bystander intervention, and cultural factors that create and perpetuate inequality. These sessions are held on campus and in our local community. This program is supported by Title IX at WSU and the Federal Department of Justice OVW (Office on Violence Against Women). This session will discuss our peer-to-peer education program; train the trainer. We will share our history in the Winona community, provide information about our program implementation and also, highlight current projects about intersectionality and resiliency that can be adapted for other universities or community learning programs.
- Sarah Jackson, Graduate Student, Counselor Education, Winona State University (RE Initiative)
- Thomas Cameron, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
- Janelle DeRubeis, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
- Alexis Salem, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
- BriShuan Kerns, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
- Molly Sarbacker, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
- Lauren Wodicka, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
- Emma Severson, RE Initiative Peer Educator and Advocate, Winona State University
5E: Pyle 232 ~ The Chilean Exile Counted By Women: The Experience of the “Exiles” Project
The coup d’état in Chile of September 11, 1973 shook the whole world for the brutality of its repression and for symbolizing the end of a government project perhaps ambitious for the time. Chilean women took an active position in the Popular Unity government, pushing the struggle for historical inequalities from political parties, homes, schools, hospitals and streets. However, the dream failed and the policy of arrest, disappearance and death from the beginning of the dictatorship led to another episode no less traumatic: exile. Like most historical processes, exile has been approached mainly from a male perspective as a consequence of an androcentric historiographical tradition. The audiovisual project, “Exiliadas,” seeks to reverse this situation by centering the testimonies and interviews of exiled Chilean women not returned in the most emblematic countries of the exile. It seeks to make visible differences and analyze the discourses of women based on five thematic axes: arrival, family and emotional relationships, work and studies, militancias, the possibility of return, and the degree of assimilation into the host society.
- Introduction by Ksenija Bilbija, Professor, Spanish and Portuguese, UW-Madison
- Interpretation by Sarli E. Mercado, Ph.D., Spanish and Portuguese, UW-Madison
- Carolina Espinoza Cartes, PhD Student in Anthropology at UNED, Spain
5F: Pyle 213 ~ Transforming Women’s Lives through the Power of Non-Traditional Learning
“The Odyssey Project helped me unwrap my gifts and rewrite the story of my life,” wrote one student. The UW Odyssey Project is an award-winning, multi-generational educational program offering free UW-Madison humanities classes for adults facing economic barriers to college as well as enrichment programming (Odyssey Junior) for their children and grandchildren. The majority of Odyssey students are women from racial and ethnic minority groups, most of whom are overcoming obstacles such as single parenthood, addiction, incarceration, depression, and domestic abuse. Odyssey students report transformative outcomes. Some have even moved from homelessness to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students report that they read more themselves and to their children, feel that they are better parents and advocates for their children in school, have more hope about their own futures, are more likely to vote and become involved in their communities, have continued their education, and have made progress toward meaningful careers. In this presentation, find out what techniques in and out of the classroom make the UW Odyssey Project a model for helping at-risk families gain self-confidence, find their voices, and break cycles of generational poverty.
- Kevin Mullen, PhD, Associate Director of UW-Madison Odyssey Project (Moderator)
- Josephine Lorya, UW Odyssey alumna, UW-Madison graduate, (BA and MSW)
- Keena Atkinson, UW Odyssey alumna, UW-Madison graduate (BA)
- Mai Neng Thao, UW Odyssey alumna, Madison College graduate (ALS)
5G: Pyle 225 ~ Toward Social Justice Pedagogies in Rural Spaces
In “Teaching to Empower,” published in the recent special issue of Feminist Formations dedicated to “Feminist Teaching for Social Justice,” Carrie N. Baker, a Professor of Women and Gender at Smith College, identifies key methods for encouraging values linked to goals that promote a better future. In this piece, she specifically identifies projects that encourage real world impact and that intersect with her own public scholarship. This panel seeks to engage these strategies in the context of the rural classroom, exploring how social justice pedagogy offers the opportunity to envision a better future by looking to our own critical backyard. What strategies do we engage to invite social change in rural contexts, and how do we encourage progress through application of the page to the local political and social stage? Alternatively, how do we encounter and redirect resistance that runs counter to a vision for a better future? This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) session will explore specific assignments and approaches designed to engage these critical questions.
- Mary Jo Klinker, Associate Professor, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Winona State University
- Erin Mae Clark, Assistant Professor of English, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
- Dong Isbister, Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Platteville and Co-Chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
- Frank King, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies, UW-Platteville
5H: Pyle 326 ~ Why Is Birth Education Privileged? Democratizing Birth Knowledge
Birth education is privileged. One has to be pregnant or know a pregnant person to get it. Today 85% of U.S. women are mothers, and at least one quarter of all birthing people are traumatized by their experience. During a labor, representatives of the majority culture assert power over vulnerable women. Their words and actions overtly communicate their perceived value and worth to society. Black women are uniquely dismissed and devalued in their births. Even a typical hospital birth is disempowering and interferes with the primal bond of baby and mother. Education and empowerment through labor support can disrupt this pattern. My research shows people of all ages and genders want birth education. When offered to all people and tailored to their cultural values, comprehensive birth education can be transformative and empowering. Not just for the individual, it also has potential to galvanize marginalized communities. This session will cover a brief history of birth education, an outline of what empowerment in birth looks like, and a research based model for community based birth education.
- Amy Gilliland, Research Fellow, School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison Center for Child and Family Well Being
5I: Pyle 226 ~ Centering Queerness in Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies
This panel will discuss the benefits of teaching Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) from a queer positionality as feminist praxis. Aimed at empowering both learners and instructors, this panel will examine teaching practices that engage with students in nontraditional, political, and intersectional ways. Teaching Intro to WGS from a queer positionality centers marginalized experiences in pedagogical practices, classroom discussion, and curriculum development. Engaging with a tradition of queer feminist theory, this panel seeks to highlight the ways a queer standpoint creates an enriched and transformative learning environment in the Intro to WGS classroom. The panelists will speak on their experiences with pedagogy, instructional program development, and curriculum from a queer perspective.
- Christina Nelson, she/her they/them, MA Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Milwaukee (Moderator)
- Julia Anderson, she/her, Graduate Student, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Milwaukee
- Sarah Cooke: they/them, MA Student Women’s and Gender Studies and MLIS Student Library and Information Science, UW-Milwaukee,
- Jess Howard: she/her, MA Student Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Milwaukee
5J: Pyle 313 ~ Alternative Modes of Feminist Praxis
Embodiment, Vulnerability, and Transformative Display in the Gender Studies Classroom
This paper explores risks and rewards associated with a classroom project in my undergraduate course, The Female Body in the World. Using a body mapping method (Sweet and Escalante 2015), students work in groups to trace outlines of their bodies on large sheets of paper, and then may individually or collectively draw expressions of fear, violence, protection, defense, and vulnerabilities onto those bodies. Students choose to work in quiet reflection, or in discussion with small groups, to map their corporeal realities related to gendered violence. Upon completion, the maps are hung around the classroom like a museum exhibit, and students are invited to walk around and consider each one. After everyone has the opportunity to look at the body maps, we come together for a discussion of the exercise, and what we found within the maps themselves in terms of both individual and collective embodied experiences. This paper reflects on the possibilities of this kind of vulnerability in display towards feminist praxis in the classroom and beyond. I explore the complex challenges of engaging with what students produce in this project, and how students engage with each other, in doing work that exposes raw, vulnerable, and powerful corporeal realities.
- Katherine Phelps, Lecturer (UW-Madison) and Doctoral Student (University of Massachusetts-Boston), Gender and Women’s Studies (UW-Madison)and Sociology (UMass-Boston)
Critical Examination of Online Modes of Protest: Virtual Sit-Ins, Hacktivism, Electronic Civil Disobedience, Social Media Organizing, and AI-mediated Dissent
Examining modes of protest is part of understanding how societies can be transformed. Long before Facebook and Twitter, a variety of kinds of technologically-mediated interactions emerged to convey dissent in the US, UK, and many other nations. The notion of computer-mediated expression as being not just “technological” but “virtual” began to take root as increasing numbers of individuals gained access to computing technologies. In the early days of the Cold War, computer-related expression largely involved computer experts; mimicking face-to-face configurations (such as “virtual sit-ins”) was an early experimental approach to protesting and eliciting response, but developing new and creative protest genres (such as computer screen “blackouts”) also began to occur. In the 1980s and early 1990s, a growing assortment of listservs and online virtual communities emerged. Electronic civil disobedience and “hacktivism” sometimes occurred when protesters transgressed certain boundaries (such as blocking access to certain computer resources) without being sure as to what was indeed “legal” in terms of online expression. This presentation discusses how forms of mediated social protest shifted and often became normalized as non-technology experts became more involved, gender-related attacks became common, legal constraints became clearer, and the modes of online interaction (including social media) expanded. It explores how education can be transformed through empowering individuals with various online protest-and-dissent capabilities. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly playing roles in the fabrication of grassroots dissent and in the surveillance and profiling of protesters, so new technologies may indeed serve to chill dissent as well as foster its expression.
- Jo Ann Oravec, Professor, Information Technology and Supply Chain Management, UW-Whitewater
5K: Pyle 112 ~ SoTL and Gendered Division of Labor on Our Campuses: A Case for More Equity and Change in Professional Values
This talk draws on a forthcoming book chapter that discusses the gendered division of academic research and teaching labor and seeks to effect change in how SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) is viewed and rewarded in professional contexts. While there is a growing examination of gender as a predictor of student learning, the topic of gendered division of labor in SoTL as a research domain remains unexplored. Who does the bulk of SoTL research and why? What are potential professional implications? Drawing on survey results from four UW System campuses, we examine the gender trends in doing SoTL research in Wisconsin where SoTL work flourishes and is often encouraged and funded through numerous nationally recognized programs, including the WI Teaching Fellows and Scholars Program, where the presenters first met. Additionally, we are interested in the ways in which institutional and/or disciplinary research expectations and academic rank might compound the already gendered nature of SoTL research practices and how engaging in SoTL might complicate the path to tenure.
- Katia Levintova, Associate Professor, Political Science and Global Studies, UW-Green Bay
- Valerie Pilmaier Murrenus, Associate Professor of English, UW Colleges
- Valerie Barske, Associate Professor of History, UW-Stevens Point
- Darci Thoune, Associate Professor of English, UW-La Crosse
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Concurrent Session 6: 3:15-4:15
6A: Pyle 232 ~ Waking Northwest Indiana: Feminists Build a Regional Anti-Racist, Anti-Capitalist Coalition
In this panel discussion and workshop, a coalition of university and community activists highlight strategies they used to forge an anti-racist, anti-capitalist feminist coalition in diverse yet rigidly segregated, class-stratified urban-industrial Northwest Indiana. The panelists share their responses to external threats and how they address internal challenges. For example, more than one member is leery of the aims and efficacy of feminism as a tool for radical change. Another is a reluctant anti-capitalist. External threats include the region’s division into numerous, discrete government entities, its disjointed economic development, and, more insidiously, powerful female administrators’ staunch commitment to white feminism at one campus. Strengths include organizers’ previous activism such as involvement in regional chapters of Black Lives Matter and Parents Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); managing election campaigns for Democratic candidates; and mobilizing a variety of grassroots campaigns. Another strength is also a weakness—the group’s fluid boundaries and resistance to institutionalization that would entail designating a central leader or leadership. The benefits and disadvantages of this organizational model will be addressed at some length.
- Colette Morrow, Associate Professor of English, Purdue University Northwest
- Lorrell Kilpatrick, Adjunct Faculty, Indiana University Northwest
- Lexi Dukes, Purdue University Northwest
- Leah Medena, Purdue University Northwest
- Quinn Stafford, community activist
- Jencelyn King-Witzel, 3WF Third Wave Feminism
- Giovanna Urbino, Purdue University Northwest
6B: Pyle 325 ~ Religion and Gender Studies
Muslim Feminism and Religious Epistemology: A Call for Broader Definitions of Gender Studies
According to Margot Badran, scholars “still speak of a ‘Western feminism in essentialist, monolithic and static terms, belying a certain Occidentalist turn of mind or, perhaps, a political project aimed at adversely ‘framing’ feminism” (243).* Not only have examinations of gender and women’s studies in academia overlooked the experiences of Muslim women, but they often situate a discourse of liberation from a religious epistemology, as central. This type of denigration of religious consciousness often delegitimizes Muslim women’s identificatory practices and, therefore, suppresses scholarship which perceives religion as a site for agency. In my paper, I explore the aforementioned problematics and argue for the broadening of gender and women’s studies scholarship to include underrepresented perspectives of Muslim feminist scholars, theologians, and cultural theorists. *Badran, Margot. Feminism in Islam: Secular and Religious Convergences. Oneworld Publications, 2009.
- Ibtisam Abujad, Graduate Student and Instructor, English and Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Marquette University
Sodom on the Eno: Liberal Protestantism and North Carolina’s 1986 Gay Pride Parade
This talk examines the relationship between Protestantism and the movements for feminist and gay equality in North Carolina through the lens of Durham, North Carolina’s 1986 gay pride parade. This research examines why people turned to organized religion to sort through internalized feelings of racism, sexism, and homophobia at the height of the feminist and gay liberation movements in the South. This question complicates scholarly assumptions that secularity—not religiosity—was a mainstay of political activism, and also challenges the idea that evangelical and fundamentalists dominated organized religion’s response to social change. While many historians document the importance of churches in the black civil rights movement, my research extends this chronology by uncovering how mainline Protestant groups also added gender equality, sexual orientation, and gender identity to this mix from 1970-1990. Against the backdrop of a burgeoning movement for women’s liberation and the rise of the New Right, gay Christians and moderate clergy built upon the work undertaken by previous decades of feminist activism as they formed alliances with anti-racist groups and agitated for the acceptance of the LGBTQ community in local churches. While organized religion provided plenty of obstacles to transplanting this vision of religiously-driven inclusivity onto campaigns for women’s rights and gay liberation, it also offered institutional frameworks, rituals of belonging, and a certain theological flexibility that most strictly secular movements lacked. In this way, many of the religious coalitions forged during the 1970s and 1980s in North Carolina exceeded the effectiveness and organizational breadth of strictly secular groups across the state and nation.
- Stephanie Rytilahti, Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium, UW-Madison
To Offer Compassion: A History of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion
In this talk, D.A. Dirks describes the research they undertook with co-author Patricia A. Relf in the recent publication of To Offer Compassion: A History of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion. The Clergy Consultation Service (CCS) was a nationwide network of ministers and rabbis who referred women seeking abortions to doctors prior to Roe v. Wade. What began as a small group of New York-based ministers eventually grew to a movement of over 1,400 committed clergy dedicated to helping women find safe and legitimate alternatives to pregnancy. Most accounts of abortion rights position religion as antithetical to the aims of reproductive justice; the history of the CCS flips this narrative on its head by revealing how a group of ministers worked to assist predominantly poor women and women of color in seeking abortions and counseling services. Many of the ministers who participated in CCS also had links to the civil rights movement and anti-war activism. In this way, To Offer Compassion also offers a rereading of the relationship between multiple movements for social justice and reproductive justice. Dirks will describe the oral history archive that made this work possible, other aspects of the research process, and the transformation of the book into a film! D.A. Dirks will also be on hand for our new author reception on Friday from 2:45-3:45 in the Lee Lounge. Stop by for an author signing and to purchase a copy of To Offer Compassion.
- D.A. Dirks, Contract faculty, General Education and Humanities, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
6C: Pyle 326 ~ Transforming the Classroom: Moving Beyond Traditional Disciplinary and Institutional Practice
- Julie Tharp, Professor, English, American Indian Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield (Moderator)
Transformative Biologies: the Newcomer Experience
The study of the nature and the biological processes is a powerful tool to contribute to the conversation about Science and Society. The ecology field entails the use of multidisciplinary approaches, a focus on understanding, characterizing and preserving diversity and the need of working directly in the field, often far away from anthropized manners and contexts. These, among others, are practices that have allow me to learn about networking, systems biology and emergent processes. This talk is an invitation to share the inspiration that I have found in the study of nature, and to learn about how these insights can be applied to promote creativity, enthusiasm and tolerance in our educational practices.
- Bruno Agudo, Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Research on Gender and Women, UW-Madison
Navigating the Waters: Transformative Education in a Sea of Standards
How can we provide a more holistic approach to women’s and gender studies that transcends the boundaries of institutional departments? Transformative education requires not only an intersection of class, gender, sexuality, race and ability, but also the realization of that intersection in a student-centered, transdisciplinary context. Many academics seek to encourage customized, peer-oriented, collaborative, and project-based learning focused on co-construction of deep knowledge, value creation, and social action. However, it can be difficult to navigate between departments and schools in a university setting to fully meet each student’s needs. Equally challenging is the process to design more holistic education options in alternative settings. How do we start new institutes that embrace transformative education while at that same time provide a sound academic degree? The presenter will share her experience of developing transformative student-centered curriculum with an international, interdisciplinary team to start an open-access, online university. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the success and challenges instructors face when implementing action research, project-based learning, and other approaches to transformative education in their own university departments or other settings.
- Connie Lent, Accreditation Compliance, Curriculum and Instruction, Deep Institute
6D: Pyle 332 ~ Experiences of Violence and Visions of Justice
When Inter-Personal Violence is Rare: Political Consequences for Sahrawi Women in Western Sahara
This paper offers analysis of a society where interpersonal violence is rare and it asks: What if we lived in a world where there was virtually no violence against women; where men spent their time worrying about how to make domestic life easier for women who work; where there was no stigma against divorced women and young women were encouraged to become political leaders? What if we lived in an egalitarian world where men did not try to dominate other women or men and society was primarily organized around women’s preferences? The paper takes this thought experiment and looks at the political impacts of matrilineality and matrifocality of the Saharawi in the contested territory of Western Sahara (Southern Morocco), drawing on extensive interviews and focus groups in Dakhla and Laâyoune. It shows how culture interacts with institutional reform to engage women with positive outcomes for women who seek political office.
- Aili Tripp, Professor and Chair, Political Science and Gender & Women’s Studies, UW-Madison
Asylum Seekers: Seeking Safety, Facing Detention
In August of 2018, a group of local students and a law professor went to Dilley, TX to volunteer at a federal detention facility. Our group provided legal services for women and children who were applying for asylum. We met families who had been separated at the border, heard the stories of the violence and trauma they experienced in their home countries, and about their hopes for the future. As participants of this trip, our presentation will highlight the current crisis at the border, the immigration policies involved, and share the stories of those impacted by this violence. We hope to give voice to those who are suffering from extreme gang violence, religious and political persecution, and domestic abuse. We want to not only share the horrific stories they communicated, but also share the incredible strength and courage we witnessed. We believe the tenacity and resolve of these women and their children are an example we can all learn from, as we work to bring peace and justice to Wisconsin, the U.S./Mexico border, the nation, and the world.
- Charis Zimmick, Graduate Student, Law, UW-Madison Law School
- Erin Barbato, Director, Immigrant Justice Clinic, UW-Madison Law School
6E: Pyle 112 ~ Intersectional Approaches to Feminist Pedagogy
- Lindsey Harness, Alverno College (Moderator)
Can I Succeed?: Retention Among First Generation College Students through a Feminist Pedagogy
Retention among first generation college students has been and continues to be a persistent issue for colleges and universities. By adopting extended orientations, first-year seminars, service learning and living learning communities, the goal has been to ensure retention of students that otherwise struggle their first year. Factors such as college awareness, belongingness, consciousness, and social support impact a student’s ability to succeed. My paper emphasizes the need to have faculty who are culturally aware of the experiences and needs of first generation college students and can support them. There are two important models that affect retention, such as Tinto’s Student Integration Model and Astin’s Student Involvement Model; however, they focus on an individualist responsibility, rather than collective. I argue that the classroom should be anti-colonial and feminist by approaching education through collective equalized learning. This paper will detail the contributing and mitigating factors that address retention and suggest a way to improve retention that does not put the responsibility on the student. I argue that through an anti-colonial feminist pedagogy, creating a culturally inclusive campus environment that fosters consciousness or self-regulated learning, can better address retention among first generation college students.
- Christina Nelson, Graduate Student, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Milwaukee
Beyond Practice: Intersectional Feminism as a Reflective Pedagogy
As a metaphor, intersectionality requires us to consider how complex identities are constituted by race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and gender. As a practice, it is enacted in both what and how we teach. However, much like feminist theory is not a defined set of practices or specific moves, intersectionality offers us a multivalent approach to teaching that is constantly in flux. It requires us to be cognizant of our students’ identities as well as our own, constantly adjusting and reworking our teaching to accommodate and anticipate our students’ needs. This often results in a vibrant teaching practice that positions us as both the facilitator of our student’s growth as well as learners ourselves. But what about when we fail, misstep, or just don’t live up to the priorities of intersectionality? In “The Invisibility of Privilege,” Social Anthropologist Anna Carastathis argues that recognizing our “complicity in structures of domination” can often lead to paralysis. However, intersectionality based in “actional commitment,” especially among race-privileged women, leads to a transformative practice based on a “politics of solidarity.” In this paper, I argue that putting Carastathis’ concept into practice requires us to continuously engage in self-assessment. Together, the work of analyzing and reflecting upon our failures and successes in light of intersectional feminism leads to a transformative pedagogy.
- Jackielee Derks, Doctoral Candidate, English, Marquette University
Including a Trauma-Informed Approach in Feminist Pedagogy
Based on current statistics, the majority of students attending college have likely experienced trauma, and many of these same students may have PTSD as well. Because trauma and PTSD can affect students’ academic achievement, teachers need to be aware of these factors as they strive to create more inclusive and accessible learning environments. In my presentation, I argue in favor of a trauma-informed pedagogy as part of an inclusive feminist pedagogy. I will provide an overview of what trauma is and how it can affect academic performance. Furthermore, I will offer pedagogical strategies from relevant scholarship and resources, as well as perspectives from my own experiences of teaching in Milwaukee Public Schools and at UW-Milwaukee for many years. These strategies will assist teachers in more thoroughly evaluating the kinds of backgrounds and learning issues that our diverse students bring to the classroom, and will assist them in creating pedagogical models that are responsive to the well being of all students. Finally, I will invite attendees to share their own strategies and experiences.
- Molly Ubbesen, Graduate Student, English: Rhetoric & Composition, UW-Milwaukee
6F: Pyle 209 ~ Creating Space for Student Activism on Campus
The University of Wisconin-La Crosse Women’s Resource Center
The UW-L Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is a feminist space where students can find community resources and feminist discourse including but not limited to: books, newspapers, music, podcasts, and journals. Due to restrictions, the WRC is currently unnoticed and underutilized by the community. As student interns, have been tasked with transforming this space into an inclusive, resourceful, accessible, and versatile feminist safe space for all students and faculty, drawing on research about the role of women’s centers and other inclusive spaces on college campuses. We are navigating several obstacles: there is no staff, limited hours of operation, low traffic location, and limited funds. Working through academic year 2018-2019, we’re transforming this space using a few different tactics. First, we’re doing a literature review on creating and advocating for safe spaces and increasing the WRC’s activism by producing “Feminist Take: A Student Production.” Furthermore, we are focusing on showcasing what we do have by: removing less relevant materials, adding and showcasing materials to attract students, having displays on topics including monthly observations, DVAM, Kavanaugh confirmation, NNAHM etc., creating a social media presence for the WRC, working with faculty to hold an open house for the revamped space, and much more.
- Siiri Koski, Undergraduate Student, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, UW-La Crosse
- Gabriela Calderon, Undergraduate Student, UW-LaCrosse
CANCELLED – How to Start a Gender Equity Club
ADDED – UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Womxn Lead Gala and 4W’s Undergraduate Club, The Network
In this talk, 4W affiliated students will describe UW-Madison’s first annual Wisconsin Womxn Lead Gala, supported by the 4W Initiative and the Wisconsin Union Directorate. Through a peer nomination process, students nominated exceptional undergraduate leaders highlighting their strengths and accomplishments, and spent a night celebrating their accomplishments and collective achievements. Students will describe the nomination process, the creation of a student network to support the event, and navigating the logistics of organizing a recognition ceremony. The talk will then transition to the creation of 4W’s new undergraduate club, The Network.
- Olivia Anderson, UW-Madison Undergraduate, 4W Intern
- Colleen Whitley, UW-Madison Undergraduate, 4W Intern
6G: Pyle 213 ~ Latina Community Health Workers/Doulas are Raising their Voices: Listen (MOVED FROM Friday, 9am 1H: Pyle 121 )
One year ago, eight Latina and Native Ecuadorian women presented about their journey of developing a unique Community Health Workers (CHWs) program in Dane County. Now, their paths have expanded and their reach has grown. However, implementation and financial challenges have stymied their development as leaders as systems of oppression and color blindness continue to work against the immigrant power present in the region. These factors have been amplified by the current political climate, increasing the sense of vigilance and dissonance in the community as a whole. Keeping this backdrop in mind, this talk focuses on the (w)holistic approach the CHWs are taking to improve the health of Latina women and their babies. The result of their efforts can be translated into a greater sense of belonging, knowledge, and compassionate care from one woman to another. Special focus is given to the challenge of securing innovative and equitable funding streams that could allow the CHWs to serve mothers and their babies with the tools and depth they deserve. The current services provided by the CHWs serves as an example of how access to equitable funding is used to leverage existing partnerships and illustrates how community-driven programs have the capacity of harvesting change.
- Mariela Quesada Centeno, PhD Candidate, School of Human Ecology, Human Development and Family Studies, UW-Madison
- Aida Inuca, Roots4Change Coop
- Matilde Cachiguango, Roots4Change Coop
- Rosalba Montoya, Roots4Change Coop
- Maricela Martinez, Roots4Change Coop
- Virginia López, Roots4Change Coop
- Jennifer Valencia, Roots4Change Coop
- Karime Perez, Centro Hispano
6H: Pyle 225 ~ Transformative Health Outcomes
- Laura Killingsworth, 4W Collections and Special Projects Manager, UW-Madison (Moderator)
Dispositional Mindfulness and Partner Relationship Quality as Predictors of Pregnant Women’s Quality of Life in Indonesia
Pregnancy is a transformative process. Women experience both physical and psychological changes during pregnancy that can impact perceptions of their quality of life as a whole. Previous studies have reported that mindfulness may help ease women’s transition through pregnancy. However, the quality of the relationship with partners also may have an important role in determining how they perceive their quality of life. Past research has shown that low partner relationship quality may lead to depression among pregnant women. Therefore, this study aimed to examine how mindfulness and relationship quality may affect quality of life among pregnant women in Indonesia. N=130 participants completed self-report questionnaires, and n=127 met study inclusion criteria (including presently residing in Indonesia). This study used the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess mindfulness, the Relationship Assessment Scale to measure relationship quality, and the EQ-5D5L as a measure of quality of life. Statistically significant results of regression models provide support for the hypothesis that dispositional mindfulness and partner relationship quality concurrently predict pregnant women’s quality of life, particularly for dimensions of: anxiety (R²= 0.451, F=16.424, p<0.0001), usual activities (R²=0.173, F=4.177, p=0.001), and pain (R²=0.155, F=3.682, p =0.002). Implications of these results will be discussed such as the potential benefit of mindfulness-based programs for pregnant women in Indonesia. Keywords: Mindfulness, Relationship Quality, Quality of Life, Pregnancy, Indonesia
- Endang Fourianalistyawati, Graduate Student, Psi, Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Studies, UW-Madison
Health Advocacy for the Non-Professional: Transforming Outcomes
The current health care system in this country intrinsically disadvantages women. “Invisible Diseases” like Lyme Disease and Fibromyalgia are destroying lives and costing our society in numerous ways. Diseases like these disproportionally affect women, and social or political attention is not directed towards improving health outcomes. As more communities of women and minorities have access to services under the Affordable Care Act, pockets of care continue to exist. Yet, the medical community continues to ignore women, and communities and entire families suffer. Additionally, aging parents require many adult children to step into caregiving roles for which they are unprepared and unavailable. Through the presenter’s own lived experience, I will outline the pitfalls in this system and how to navigate around them and become a better advocate for yourself or someone you care for. This presentation is intended for patients, caregivers, future health professionals, and those with an interest in furthering the advancement of health care outcomes for women and minorities. The presentation includes several interactive exercises designed to amplify messages of patient choice, consent, agency, and ability.
- Alison Lancaster, Graduate Student/Alumna, Social Sciences, UW-Madison
Culture vs. Human Rights (FGM is a Violation of Women’s Rights)
Women and girls living with and those likely to go under FGM are exposed to a harmful practice. FGM increases the short and long-term health risks to women and girls and is unacceptable from a human rights and health perspective. Short term health risks include excessive bleeding, excessive pain, genital swelling, exposure to the risk of contracting HIV, urination problems among others and long term health risks include urinary tract infections, chronic reproductive tract infections, chronic genital infections, painful urinations, menstrual problems, risk of contracting HIV due to the fact the there is no sterilization of surgical instruments used at the same time on a group of girls, low sexual desire, fistula, psychological torture and trauma, depression and sometimes can also lead to death due to excessive bleeding, infections, and tetanus, among other risks.
- Kalule Richards Tevin, Director, Research and Media, Atin Africa Foundation Uganda
- Mujjuzi Robert Kiwanuka, Corruption and Risk Advisory Bureau
6I: Pyle 313 ~ Student Learning Objectives in Women’s and Gender Studies: Rubrics, Competencies and Reflections on Transformative Experiences
In this panel we discuss some of the most salient student learning objectives in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies. How do we help students reflect on and identify the components and processes of their learning? How do we help students recognize the transformative potential of their education? How do we evaluate competency in the field? As we explore these questions, the panel will share assessment rubrics that have been developed in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at UW-Whitewater. While rubrics aid in the assessment of student learning in our program, they also provide students added transparency in their learning and help them reflect on their transformative experiences in the classroom, the community and in their professional lives.
- Ellie Schemenauer, Associate Professor and Chair, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater and Co-Chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
- Ashley Barnes-Gilbert, Lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater
- Jessica Walz, Lecturer, Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater
- Jo Burkholder, Professor, Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Whitewater
- Jim Coons, Professor, History and Women’s and Gender Studies, Teaching and Learning, UW-Whitewater
6J: Pyle 226 ~ Improving the Lives of Teenage Mothers Using Education and Skills in Kenya
A large percentage of teen mothers drop out of primary or high school in Kenya. Dropping out of school to handle pregnancy or care for a newborn can prevent them from getting an education and learning the skills necessary for adulthood and obtaining a job. Without proper education, teenage mothers will struggle even more to rise above an increased risk of poverty. The purpose of this paper is to answer the following central question: What factors contribute to teen mothers’ educational resiliency? Additionally, three sub-questions are asked: What factors of the various school environments and vocational centers encourage motivation and support resiliency in teen mothers? What are the teen mothers’ perceptions of stigma within the various educational and vocational settings? What are teen mothers’ perceptions of the opportunities and support services available in each educational and vocational setting? In answering these questions, we will highlight how struggle, support, hope, perseverance, and transformation guide their journeys. We argue that these themes play into their educational resilience, and we explore how teen motherhood is an educational issues as well as a social issue.
- Pamela Ateka Muthiora, Executive Director, HOD, Community Focus Group (CFG)
- Olivia Anyango Ogada, Women In Democracy And Governance (WIDAG)
- Mary Euniece Muigai, Women In Democracy And Governance (WIDAG)
- Veronika Muzulu, Community Focus Group (CFG)
- Charles Andrew Muthiora, Community Focus Group (CFG)
6K: Pyle 309 ~ Activist Roundtable
- Dace A. Zeps, Administrator, Center for Research on Gender and Women, UW-Madison (Moderator)
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Concurrent Session 7: 4:30-5:30
7A: Pyle 209 ~ Women’s and Gender Studies in Crisis
This closing roundtable offers a chance for WGS faculty to exchange ideas and strategies on how to maintain robust programming in the face of declining student enrollment, structural realignments, and budget deficits. Potential topics may include:
- Strategies for confronting the language of crisis in higher education
- Coalition building amongst campus and community partners
- Making the language of university initiatives work for our programming
- Responding to market analyses that depict WGS as an underperforming discipline
- Dealing with faculty burnout
- Representing WGS on campus and systemwide committees
Participation is encouraged from faculty across the UW System and other regional campuses and colleges.
- Stephanie Rytilahti, Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
- Rebecca Stephens, Department of English and Women’s and Gender Studies Coordinator, UW-Stevens Point
7B: Pyle 332 ~ Intersectional Identities and Social Change
- Dong Isbister, Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Women’s and Gender Studies, UW-Platteville and Co-Chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium (Moderator)
Social Citizenship
Social Citizenship is a discussion of identifying as a woman in America through the lens of intersectionality, critical race theory, Muslim American identities, and social citizenship. Using an interactive model this session draws on audience participation to answer one core question: What is social citizenship and who has it? The researcher discusses past work with White, African American, and Muslim American women about identity in America and offers an opportunity for the audience to fill out a survey for self-reflection. The results are coded and analyzed in their meaning in the context of American society.
- Rachel Turney, Assistant Professor of Education, Teacher Education,William Woods University
Grassroots Advocacy in the Face of Compartmentalization
Drawing on the experiences of community support initiatives in Palestine that succeeded in crossing arbitrary boundaries, this paper provides a toolkit for grassroots advocacy! What are the best practices for making positive change along with community resistance? How can communities build a conceptual scheme based on disseminating all “images of possibility” and creating a different way of framing issues to guarantee community involvement? How can an indigenous movement, based on bottom-up community support and intervention, be globalized? The Palestinian community is just one example of how political forces dissipated the community into sub-communities physically separated since the war of 1948 causing exile, displacement, and compartmentalization. Keeping this backdrop in mind, this paper ultimately examines the role of refugee generation women in articulating an action plan in the face of arbitrary divisions imposed on a community, and how this conceptual scheme for community involvement may be globalized.
- Laura Khoury, Professor, Sociology, UW-Parkside
CANCELLED – 7C: Pyle 232 ~ Women’s Rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo
CANCELLED – 7D: Pyle 213 ~ Consent Throughout the Lifetime
7E: Pyle 325 ~ Gendered Perspectives on Human Rights
- Lori Di Prete Brown, Director, 4W Initiative (Moderator)
Are the Millennium Development Goals a Good Tool for Achieving Female Empowerment?
Many development studies argue that economic growth and increased prosperity lead to a decline in gender discrimination. Yet, research has shown that gender inequalities are not always, or at least not only, a result of poverty and scarcity of economic resources. For example, poor castes in India are sometimes more egalitarian than other richer groups in society. A more multidimensional approach to gender equality moves beyond economic growth as the only metric of advancement by also taking into account improvements in health, access to education and paid employment, participation in decision-making, etc. This paper studies female empowerment and gender inequality in the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The main purpose is to analyze whether the MDGs are a good tool for achieving women’s empowerment and gender equality. The main focus of the paper is on women’s empowerment since women are generally more vulnerable, poorer and more over-all disadvantaged in many parts of the world. This does, however, not ignore the inclusion of men in gender studies and the fact that men in many situations are the more disadvantaged ones. The paper is not an attempt to give a holistic picture of the results and needed improvements for the MDGs and future SDGs. Instead, certain aspects of female empowerment and gender equality and education are emphasized in accordance especially to Kabeers studies of the MDGs.
- Md Ashrafuzzaman, Associate Professor, Anthropology, University of Lisbon/University of Chittagong, Bangladesh
Forced Marriage as an Obstacle to Development
This paper explores the issue of early marriage in Africa. It sheds light on its perpetuation and harmful consequences, and shows how it constitutes both a violation of human rights and a hindrance to the development of countries. Early marriage occurs for a variety of reasons: economic survival, protection of young girls, peer group and family pressure, the control of female behavior and sexuality, wars and civil conflicts, and socio-cultural and religious values. It is a violation of a girl’s human rights as it deprives her of freedom, the opportunity for personal development, and educational advancement. It is also a developmental challenge for population growth, health care costs and lost opportunities of human development. Forced marriage also stands in direct conflict with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), such as the promotion of basic education, the fight against poverty, the prevention of HIV/AIDS, and the reduction of maternal mortality rates. After outlining these disadvantages, we will describe some strategies for minimizing the instances of forced marriage such as providing economic opportunities to young girls, support for female education, and using the mass media to increase the awareness of the consequences of early marriage on girls themselves, their families, and on the community as a whole.
- Mary Nakasumba, Graduate Student, Head of Research, Atin Africa Foundation Uganda
Female Participation in the Labor Force and Social Transformation in India
India is projected to be the world’s fastest-growing large economy for the rest of the decade, according to projections from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It will also soon be the world’s largest country by population, if it isn’t already. Put together, rapid economic and population growth will soon make India the world’s fifth largest economy overall. In the 2020s it will likely overtake Germany to become the fourth largest, trailing only the United States, China and Japan. Measured in purchasing power parity terms, it’s already number three. Despite this rapid growth, the participation of women in the labor force has drastically declined. Continuous high economic growth since the early 1990s has brought significant change to the lives of Indian women, and yet female labor force participation has stagnated at under 30%, and recent labor surveys even suggest some decline since 2005. Using a national sample survey representative of households and employment, I will explain these declines. Combining these facts with a review of the literature, I map out important areas for future investigation and highlight how policies such as employment quotas and government initiatives focused on skill development and manufacturing could increase women’s economic activity.
- Shashi Goel, Visiting Scholar, Center for Research on Gender and Women, UW-Madison
7F: Pyle 226 ~ Cycling in The Netherlands: Using High Impact Practices of Study Abroad & Service Learning to Empower Women in Civil Engineering
According to The Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, one in six scientists and engineers in the U.S. reported working with individuals in other countries. They found that international collaborations are more likely to occur with employees with higher levels of education in the for-profit sector, but by a large margin, men hold most of these positions. Of the nearly 19,000,000 scientists and engineers surveyed, only 1.4 percent occurred in civil engineering and only 10.5 % of women reported having international collaborations. In order to improve on these statistics, Professor Kristina Fields completed a sabbatical in The Netherlands with collaborating partners at a Dutch University. They worked together to develop an international, short-term study abroad course that included service learning as a its guiding philosophy. The course titled, “Cycling Infrastructure in The Netherlands,” was offered in 2017 and 2018 and was taken by a high percentage of women: 67% in 2017 and 40% in 2018. This course exposed the students to new colleagues, allowed them to experience new cycling and public transportation infrastructure, and for some of them, a new passion for their future profession. This roundtable discussion will include an examination of the transferrable skills that female students developed during their study abroad and service learning experience, and which curricular components facilitated this process.
- Kristina Fields, Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UW-Platteville
- Katie Rash, Civil Engineer, Delta 3 Engineering, UW-Platteville alumna
- Susan Jordan, undergraduate civil engineering student, UW-Platteville
- Katherine Heitman, undergraduate mechanical engineering student, UW-Madison
- Alexandra Goff, Civil Engineer, Big Red Dog Engineering & Consulting
7G: Pyle 112 ~ Transforming Women’s and Gender Studies for Middle and High School Students
- Olivia Dahlquist, Assistant Director for 4W (Moderator)
Naming the Grandmothers
This session will share the work of Odyssey Leadership Academy to incorporate women and gender studies courses as part of the core interdisciplinary courses for middle and high school students. We will look at specific courses built to understand the silence of feminine and anxious masculinity; the intersections of gender, religion, language, and politics; the power and influence of environment; and the places where women and girls are still not at the table, locally and globally. Students in these courses study the lives and work of women like Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo, Artemisia Gentileschi, Clara Luper, the Brontë sisters, bell hooks, and more; as well as engaging with Oklahoma leaders on political representation, domestic violence, female incarceration, and education; and national leaders in this conversation like Nicholas Kristof and Sister Joan Chittister. This session will also showcase dynamic student work from these courses including spoken word, community advocacy, and interactive art that engages and educates the community on what our students have learned, both about the global and local issues facing women as well as the transformative impact of knowing a fuller history on their own lives.
- Amanda Kingston, Provost / Mentor, Odyssey Leadership Academy
Learning to Girl in a Volatile World: A Rhetorical Analysis of Girl Empowerment Curriculum
Girls Inc. is a gender-based after school program in the United States designed to impede social and economic barriers affecting women and girls through empowerment-based curriculum. These social inequities addressed by Girls Inc. programming are deeply ingrained and widespread within society. While acknowledging both the value and the drawbacks of gender-based empowerment curriculum, this paper analyzes both the activism and the reification and of classed, raced, and gendered systems of inequality through a rhetorical analysis of Girls Inc. curriculum and uses feminist educational policy frameworks to draw conclusions and make suggestions to further the progress of gender-based out-of-school settings. Furthermore, this project poses questions such as: How does gender-based curriculum create a site of activism? What could gender-based curriculum look like if it were weaved into a public school day? What do women and girls achieve through gender-based curriculum? It aims to answer these questions through the contextualization of social class, geographic location, race, and other factors to discuss holistic alterations to social inequity for the lives of youth participating in Girls Inc. programming and beyond.
- Nina Knorr, Graduate Student, Gender and Women’s Studies, UW -Madison
7H: Pyle 326 ~ Transforming Through Faculty-Student Research
Studies have repeatedly shown that faculty-student research is a high-impact practice that leads to higher rates of college completion, the development of student identities as scholar and intellectuals, and improves the rate of underrepresented students matriculating into graduate school. However, many barriers prevent underrepresented students and faculty mentors from successfully participating in these programs. As a woman’s college situated in and actively recruiting from one of the poorest counties in Wisconsin and across the nation, Alverno College is uniquely poised to recruit low-income and first generation students. Over the last three years the college has specifically targeted academic excellence and women’s leadership as strategic initiatives, creating the Center for Academic Excellence which oversees faculty-student research, a high-potential learning community, and provides travel fellowships to address retention. This panel, led by Dr. Jodi Eastberg, will explore how Alverno executes on these initiatives, and will also include a discussion with student research panelists and faculty mentors about the experience of leading research at the college.
- Jodi Eastberg, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Academic Excellence and Research Center for Women and Girls, Professor of History, Alverno College
- Jamieson McKenzie, Research Center for Women and Girls Intern, Women’s and Gender Studies and Psychology Major, Alverno College
- Jennifer Fierro-Padilla, Women’s and Gender Studies and English Major, Alverno College
- Jonathan Little, Professor of English, Alverno College
- Patricia Zamora Marin, Biomedical Sciences Major, Alverno College
- Jenna Coss, M.A., Lab Manager and Instructor, Alverno College
7I: Pyle 225 ~ Pushing the Boundaries: Defining the “Methods” in Feminist Research Methods
What does it mean to do feminist research? How can we use feminist principles in all stages of qualitative research? What does a feminist researcher using statistical methods do differently than any other quantitative researcher? Can we propose a framework to the field for feminist quantitative methods–for “Feminist Statistics”? In this session, we bring together two different applied research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) to frame a discussion about how feminism informs our methods, and how our methods inform our feminist research. We begin by providing a brief overview of the history of epistemological resistance to old forms of quantitative research and current feminist researchers employing quantitative methods, and propose several specific tenets as a starting framework for Feminist Statistics. By combining the experience of two feminist researchers applying very different methodologies, we hope to sponsor a rich interchange of ideas and hone in on a twenty-first century feminist research agenda for aspiring feminist researchers.
- Melody Waring, Graduate Student, School of Social Work, UW-Madison
- Emma Carpenter, Graduate Student, School of Social Work, UW-Madison
Conference Co-chairs:
Lori DiPrete Brown, Director, UW-Madison 4W Initiative
Stephanie Rytilahti, Director, UW Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
Special Thanks to the Summit Planning Committee
Summit Contacts:
Stephanie Rytilahti, Director
UW Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium
Email: srrytilahti@wisc.edu, Phone: 608-262-3056
Dace Zeps, Program Administrator
Center for Research on Gender and Women, UW-Madison
dazeps@wisc.edu, Phone: 608-263-2053
The 4W Summit co-convenors and sponsors are honored to be holding this conference under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair on Gender, Wellbeing, and a Culture of Peace as part of a global United Nations Platform on education, science, and culture.